


Ame Nochi: The Oath

by BluestheCriminalWhirlwind



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, EventuallyStrong!Naruto, F/F, F/M, Good!Kyubi, Humble!Naruto, Motherly!Kyubi, Romance, Sad!Naruto, Strong!Tenten, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:07:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28907550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluestheCriminalWhirlwind/pseuds/BluestheCriminalWhirlwind
Summary: There were a lot of things Tenten had heard about Uzumaki Naruto. She heard that he was a prankster, a troublemaker and that Konoha would be better off without him. But after chance encounters with the “Disgrace of Konoha” during a summer storm, she would soon make an oath that would change the shinobi nations.
Relationships: Akimichi Choji/Karin, Gaara/ Kagerō, Hyuuga Hinata/Tayuya, Hyuuga Neji/Fu, Inuzuka Kiba/ Sasame, Kurama Yakumo/Rock Lee, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Tenten/Uzumaki Naruto, Tsuchi Kin/ Aburame Shino, Yamanaka Ino/Haku
Kudos: 21





	1. The Blond Outcast

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING!
> 
> 1\. Ages of Naruto and his Genin classmates have been aged up by 3 years (while Temari’s and Haku’s have increased by two years), but the ages of the Iruka, Jōnin, Kages, Sennin, etc. will remain the same.  
> 2\. Canon events will still occur (such as Wave and Chūnin Exams, for example).  
> 3\. While I am unsure about smut, I am putting this warning up to let people know if I do decide to do them, but even if I don't, this story is a mature one all the same.

"Naruto!" A voice shouted.

Hōkuai Tenten flinched as she threw her kunai, which caused her to lose her grip on the kunai, where it then flew and embedded itself in a tree right above the head of an unsuspecting sleeping Rock Lee.

With his eyes locked on a book, Hyūga Neji wordlessly pulled the kunai out from the tree behind him and placed it in his kunai pouch.

Tenten blew out a sharp breath and said, "God, that dumb blond needs to stop being such a pest."

"It amazing who they let become a shinobi nowadays," Neji said as he licked his thumb and turned the page of his book. "Especially such a failure like him."

Tenten smirked and said, "Right? How he became a shinobi after failing our class and the class before ours, I will never know."

Neji snorted but continued to read.

Tenten began to pick up her discarded kunai, but as she stood up, a blond blur slammed into her body, sending them both to the ground. Tenten groaned in pain as another groan reached her ears. She opened her eyes to see the blond-haired Uzumaki male slowly rising to his knees.

"Kami, can you use your eyes and look where you're going before colliding with me?" Tenten said with an angered tone as the blond opened his eyes, and for a moment, Tenten was taken aback by the beautiful shade of blue that she saw.

But that quickly faded away as Naruto said, "Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that. Trying to get away fr-"

"Get back here, Naruto-baka!" A raging pink-haired girl shouted.

"Whoops. Gotta go!" Naruto said before he scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as he could as the pink-haired girl chased after him.

Tenten watched the pair run off and let out a disgusted groan. She could not allow herself to be seen talking to the "Blond Menace of Konoha"; otherwise, her mom would bear the consequences.

It was then she noticed that the gray clouds were coming into view. "Looks Like Gai-sensei won't be coming today. Maybe we should pack it up?" Tenten suggested.

"Normally, I'd refused, but it seems like that would be best," Neji said.

Tenten nodded, but her gaze looked in the direction that Naruto and that pink-haired girl had gone to and scoffed slightly.

Hopefully, their paths wouldn't cross again.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Tenten: Ame Nochi: The Oath  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tenten was bored.

A few hours after ending training, Tenten and Neji found out that both Lee and Gai had come down with the terrible flu, which made Gai cancel shinobi training until further notice.

So, there she sat at her mother's weapon shop known as the "Blades of Royai," looking out the window at the heavy rain that was falling. She shouldn't be sitting here in the store. She should be out there training.

How was she going to be the strongest Kunoichi in the world when she was stuck sitting here?

"Ten-chan," her mother called, which caused Tenten to turn around to face her mother.

Her mother, Hōkuai Tenrai, was a fair-skinned woman with long brunette hair and a pink Chinese-styled dress, but while her right eye was the same toffee-brown as Tenten's, her left eye was a dull brown.

Back in her youth, her seemingly sweet mother, Hōkuai Tenrai, was known as the "Ōja no Hyoukyo Hōkō (Ruler of the Cursed Roar).

A fearsome Kenjutsu master held the legendary "Hyoukyo Hōkō," a set of seven blades, four of which were Katana, two were Wakizashi, and the last one was an Ōdachi. Whenever she was in combat, the speed of her using and sheathing each blade made it sound like a lion's roar.

Her biggest claim to fame was fighting the famed Yondaime Kazekage to a standstill. However, that battle had left her losing her ability to walk and the sight in her left eye.

But despite her fearsome past and the vast amount of respect that Konoha shinobi gave her, her mom was a humble and kind woman.

"Yes, mom?" Tenten asked curiously.

Her mother held out a bag and an umbrella. "I just finished this order for the Hokage. Do you mind taking this to him? I hate to ask this of you due to how hard it is raining out there, but I'm unable to make the trek."

"Sure, mom," Tenten said with a smile as she took the bag and the umbrella. "I'll be back as fast as possible."

"Be careful, honey," her mother said with a loving smile.

Tenten nodded and stepped outside of her weapons shop, and opened the umbrella before beginning her trek to the Hokage Tower. As she walked through the heavy rain, she passed by Team 7's training ground and noticed that there was a humanoid shape leaning against a log.

And it was wearing orange.

Only one person in the village wore such a vibrant orange, and many folks would say to stay away from him. But as she narrowed her eyes, she noticed that he wasn't moving, despite the downpour.

Worry instantly filled her heart, but for a moment, she hesitated. If she were to interact with him, her mother's business would suffer because they would view her as a "Demon Lover" of some sort.

But her mother would help him, even at the risk of herself.

Tenten let out a deep sigh and then looked around. It was raining heavy enough that no one would be able to see her help him, so she would be able to cast some suspicions away if someone did see her action.

And that was enough for her.

Tenten rushed across the street and onto the training field, the orange shape getting closer and closer until she could make out the rope around his torso.

"He's tied up…" Tenten said before she whipped out a kunai and cut the rope, and without warning, the blond-haired shinobi slumped forward and nearly crashed into her.

But thanks to her training with the insane Green Beast, Tenten was able to get a hold of him immediately. "Just hang on," she told him as she held him bridal style in her arms and quickly made her way back to her shop.

Once she arrived, she got to the door and peeked through the side window, where she saw her mother working. "Mom!" Tenten yelled.

Her mother turned her head at Tenten's yell and turned her body around before wheeling herself to the door and opened it for Tenten.

Tenten rushed inside with the boy on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't deliver the Hokage's package, but I found him tied up to a post," Tenten explained as she sat the wet boy on the couch in the backroom.

A frown crossed Tenten's face as she eyed the boy. His face looked malnourished, his clothes were practically hanging off of his scarily skinny body, and his skin was unnaturally pale.

How did she not notice this when she saw him earlier in the day?

Tenten then touched his forehead and realized that he was burning up with a fever. "Mom…" Tenten said as she turned to her mother. "He's in a terrible state…"

Her mother agreed because, without hesitation, Tenrai told her, "Take him to the spare bedroom upstairs and get him out of those clothes."

Tenten hesitated again.

She thought her mother would have him taken to the hospital, but instead, she wanted to help him here?

She knew that helping the blond was the right thing to do. However, helping someone who is dubbed as "Konoha's Disgrace" would mean terrible business for them.

She wanted to question her mother to see if this was the right call, but as she looked at the woman's expectant face, Tenten felt guilty.

Of course, this was the right call to make.

Tenten nodded and lifted the blond into her arms, and rushed upstairs.

Hopefully, he will be okay.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Tenten: Ame Nochi: The Oath  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been three days since Tenten had come upon Uzumaki Naruto, and the rain still hadn't let up yet. The blond was still resting through his illness, and Tenten was concerned. He hadn't moved an inch since she saw him.

"Do you think he'll wake up today, mom?" Tenten asked.

Her mother only gave a small smile and said, "I think he will. The sooner he awakens, the sooner he can eat something. Force-feeding him liquids isn't pleasant."

Tenten nodded in agreement before her mother handed her a bowl of soup. Tenten walked up the stairs to the spare room, but she felt her mouth drop in shock when she got up there.

The bed that Naruto occupied was empty, but not only that, the bed was neatly made, and the window was wide open.

"Unbelievable…" Tenten whispered in shock. She quickly ran back downstairs and exclaimed, "Mom! Naruto is gone!"

"Is he now?" Her mother asked with concern. "He shouldn't be out and about with his illness. Especially with this weather."

Tenten looked at her mother and asked, "I'm worried about him, but…Maybe this is best. If anyone found out we helped him; they would run us out of business."

Her mother let out a sigh and replied heatedly, "The village can't keep doing this to that boy…Has everyone fearing for their jobs just for serving him. It isn't right to keep denying that boy anything for something he can't control."

Tenten watched as her mother took a deep breath to calm herself. "Find him and bring him back here," her mother told her softly. Tenten nodded and took her umbrella, and rushed out of the house and into the pouring rain.

Tenten frowned and looked around until she spotted a dull white form moving in the downpour and mumbled to herself, "That must be him…He moves fast for a sick guy…" before she shouted, "Oi! Blond!"

She saw the white blur in the distance stop, and that gave her a chance she needed to run after the blond, who had begun to walk again, but Tenten managed to catch up to him and grabbed his arm.

"What's the big idea? You should be resting, not walking in this shitty weather," Tenten asked.

Naruto turned his head to show his bright blue eyes, which caused Tenten to be mesmerized by their beauty and sad at how empty they looked.

Naruto seemed smaller and vulnerable compared to before.

It had to be due to him being sick.

Right?

"I'm sorry…" Naruto whispered as he lowered his head. "I just don't want anyone to get in trouble because of me."

Tenten felt a large amount of guilt hit her heart like a sledgehammer. "Hey…It's alri-" Tenten started, but a faint smile from Naruto stopped her from talking.

"Thank you for your hospitality. I will never forget you or your mother's kindness to me in my time of need…" Naruto gave her a small bow before he began to walk away.

"Are you sure?" Tenten asked, his retreating back.

She watched as he paused briefly before he continued to walk away from her, but he raised his right arm in the air as if to confirm his answer.

She was so confused.

Was this indeed the runt she had gone to the academy with a year ago before he failed?

Was he truly the kid who desecrated the Hokage Monument?  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Tenten: Ame Nochi: The Oath  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two more days passed since Tenten's brief conversation with Naruto, and the rain was just as heavy as it had been for the last few days, but unlike before, Tenten wasn't bored. Her mind was still on the Uzumaki.

He was so different from what she had known.

Was the downtrodden yet humble Naruto the real him, or did she catch him at a moment of weakness?

She didn't know what to think. "Ten-chan, are you able to deliver this to the Yamanaka clan?" her mother asked, which caused Tenten to blink at the relatively large package. Of course, Tenten accepted the request, and after placing opening the umbrella, she walked outside into the pouring rain.

'I wonder if I will see him again…' Tenten thought to herself as she carefully walked down the street, her eyes focused on the road ahead.

As she walked past the Team 7 training grounds, she noticed an orange blur sitting beneath a tree.

Tenten knew she should have finished her delivery first, but instead, she found herself walking across the street and walking through the training ground until she stood in front of him. He seemed to be deep in thought because he didn't notice she was standing before him.

"You know, we have to stop meeting in the rain like this," Tenten said with a sigh and a smile.

Naruto's head snapped up in alarm before a small smile appeared on his face. "Hello, Hōkuai-san."

"Hello Uzumaki-san," Tenten replied. "You seem to like the rain. Considering this is the second time I found you in it."

Naruto chuckled and said, "Well, at least this time, I'm out here under my own volition."

"Yeah, when I found you, you were tied up against a post…What happened?" Tenten asked.

"My bullshit team happened," Naruto said, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "After we passed our test, they all left me tied up to the post…That bastard-sensei of mine knows how to keep someone tied up…"

"That's terrible…Gai-sensei would never have left one of us tied up to a post," Tenten said.

"During that time, I realized how much I hate the rain," Naruto said with a small laugh, which caused Tenten to laugh as well.

"I can understand that, but if you hate it, why are you out here?" Tenten asked.

"Because nothing can stand between me and training. Not even this weather," Naruto said with a toothy grin on his face. "I have to keep myself strong to become Hokage after all."

Tenten nodded and said, "You know, back when we were classmates, you always went on and on about being Hokage, but you never would explain why."

Naruto's smile diminished as he looked away from Tenten. "I...I wanted to be Hokage to make everyone respect me. At least, that was the original reason…"

"The original reason?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah…Heh, I'm sure you've heard about me. How everyone hates me, ignores me, and tries their damndest to forget I exist," Naruto said with a mirthless smile. "Hell, it's gotten so bad that I even had to stop going to Ichikaru's so they could make money again…Not that they know, of course…"

The heavy hand of guilt gripped Tenten's heart at his words.

"I am the bane of Konoha…I understand that…Meanwhile, Everyone adores Hokage-Jiji. He became the Hokage to bring unity to our village and then returned to the seat because he wanted to keep Konoha strong after the Kyūbi. Because of this. He's not just my "Grandfather" but the entire village's "Grandfather" and going from him to me…" Naruto paused to let out a sad laugh then added, "There would be a riot..."

Tenten didn't know how to deal with this. This was not boastful, bratty blond that she and the village were annoyed to have.

This was a different beast altogether.

"I could be the reincarnation of Kami himself, and no one in this village would ever respect me. Hell, even my team despised me enough to leave me tied up." Tenten could see the sadness in his glowing blue eyes at his admission, but she remained silent.

"I want to be the Hokage so damn bad, but without the trust of the people, I might as well just hang up that dream," Naruto finished.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't be holding you up," Naruto said as he stood up and gave her a small smile. "You didn't have to come to check up on me. Hell, you didn't even have to save me the other day, and I thank you for it. But we shouldn't talk again. I don't want you to become an outcast because of me."

And with those words, Naruto walked away from Tenten. And as much as Tenten wanted to stop him, she couldn't.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Tenten: To be continued  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	2. End of Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> This chapter will have a suicide attempt and a lot of angst.

Naruto hated the rain.

Anytime rain visited his village, Naruto would find himself going through some emotional storm that would leave him weakened. For years, he couldn't understand why until he realized that anytime it rained, it reminded him of what he had always tried to bury.

Everyone thought of him as the loudmouth, hyperactive, never-say-die, troublemaking prankster, and for years, he's tried to keep that mask up, but anytime it rained, it revealed that he wasn't the little ball of sunshine he forced himself to be.

He was a broken, exhausted wreck of a person struggling to endure another day.

Anytime it would rain like this, Naruto would try to sleep or sing through it. But on days like this where he couldn't sleep, he would walk and today was one of those days.

But no matter how hard he tried, he could not escape the crushing isolation and loneliness that hung over him.

As Naruto walked down the dark roads back to his apartment, he found himself walking past a row of homes. There, in the living room, sat two adults and two small children, no younger than five.

They were talking to each other with cups of hot chocolate with small little marshmallows floating in them. They were laughing and smiling, no doubt at some lame joke the father told or some story the mother wanted to share.

If Naruto had been younger and saw this, he would have been angry and ask himself, "Why couldn't I have this life?"

It wasn't his fault that he had the Kyūbi no Kitsune sealed inside of him, and he was damn sure he didn't ask for the Yondaime Hokage to do the sealing.

Back then, all he wanted was to be an average child with a family that loved him and friends that cared, but now, he stared at the sight with a blank expression.

He learned to accept that there would be no family waiting at home for him, and the only friend he had was taken from him five years ago when he placed his trust in the Hokage, only for a long white-haired man to break the connection they had.

Even his dream of becoming the Hokage, the one thing he had clung to for years, has become nothing but a distant memory.

He had nothing.

Naruto tucked his hands into his pockets with a bowed head and walked towards the looming building where he stayed. He walked up the stairs to his apartment and fumbled around for his keys before pulling them out and sliding them into the keyhole attached to his door.

He then tried to unlock the door, but the doorknob didn't turn.

Naruto tilted his head in confusion as he looked at the door, and that was when he noticed a note attached to it.

He pulled the note off the door, and with shaking hands, he read, "Dear Uzumaki Naruto, You have missed payment of your rent for two months. And per regulations, you are now evicted from apartment #1075. Your items have been removed and placed into the dumpster on the side of the building."

No.

They couldn't have.

The Hokage has been paying his rent from the second he moved here. They couldn't have kicked him out of his home on some bullshit lie.

Naruto took a step back and kicked the door open, and the moment he did, his heart shattered.

His apartment was empty.

All of the meager items he had were gone.

Naruto walked to the fridge and glanced inside of it, but it was empty. He ran to the shelves, and they were open as well.

There was nothing left.

At first, Naruto thought that he could go to the Hokage and try to fight this, but then Naruto thought against it. The Hokage was a busy person and needed all the time he could to work. He shouldn't bother him with his problems.

Besides, the Hokage wouldn't have cared anyway. The only reason the Hokage even watched over him as much as he did was due to him keeping the Kyūbi at bay. The Hokage made that clear when he refused to tell him about his parents.

And when he took his only friend away.

Naruto could feel the emotion building in his chest now being homeless, but then, he became numb.

"It doesn't matter…" Naruto mumbled as he stared at the empty apartment. Naruto bowed his head and walked out back into the pouring rain, not even bothering to go to the dumpster for his items.

After walking around the village listlessly, Naruto found himself back at the Team 7 training ground.

Finding a large tree, Naruto sat beneath it and pressed his knees against his chest wrapped his arms around them, his dull blue eyes staring at the washed-out training ground around him.

He didn't have friends, family, and now, he didn't even have a home.

He had nothing.

He couldn't even find the will to be hurt by this because he couldn't drum up anything more.

He was just empty.

What was he even doing alive at this point?

Why did he keep going when the world continuously showed that it didn't want him around? It's not like anyone cared whether he stuck around or left.

From an early age, Naruto always knew he was in a battle. Even when he breathed, it felt like a war against the dark emotions that fought to drown him. Naruto thought that if he faced the hate that the villagers gave him with his head held high and unwavering determination, he could prove to everyone that he could earn their respect and become the Hokage.

But every day, he felt his faith slipping away and that this nightmare he called his life would never end.

But now, he understood.

It was pointless to keep fighting. It was useless to resist what the world had been telling him for all of these years. He wasn't supposed to win this battle. He was never supposed to find a way out.

He was never going to earn their respect.

Not as the Hokage and not as a human.

They would always see him as the Kyūbi.

"I'm done…" Naruto whispered to himself. "No more fighting. No more struggling…" Naruto whispered as the rain began to fall harder around him.

Naruto unfolded his limbs and reached into his kunai pouch, and pulled out a single kunai.

This battle has ended.

"I'm finally done…" Naruto whispered as he placed the steel to his chest and allowed a faint smile of relief to appear on his face.

There was nothing left for him here.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Tenten: Ame Nochi: The Oath  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Thank you, Hōkuai-san. Please give my regards to your mother," Yamanaka Inoichi said with a smile and a small bow to Tenten, who returned the bow with a small smile of her own.

"Thank you for your patronage," Tenten replied with a smile before she took the money from Inoichi's hand and opened the umbrella before she began her trek back to the Royai Blacksmith.

As she walked down the dark road, her eyes happened to catch an orange blur on the Team 7 training ground, and it didn't take a genius to know who it was.

Tenten knew from their talk two days ago that the Uzumaki male asked her to cease communication, but she was too curious about the blue-eyed boy.

But as she stared at the orange blur in the distance, something in her gut said that something was wrong.

But she didn't know what.

'As Gai-sensei says, trust your gut,' Tenten thought before she ran through the training ground entrance and towards the orange blur. As Tenten got closer to Naruto, she noticed that his head was slumped forward.

And he wasn't moving.

Tenten felt a sick feeling settle in her stomach as she approached Naruto. "Uzumaki?" Tenten questioned with an unsure tone before she let out a horrified gasp.

Naruto's chest had a single kunai in it, with blood blossoming from the wound to the majority of his bright orange jacket, and despite the rainfall, the smell of blood clung in the air around him.

"Naruto!" Tenten screamed in horror as she dropped the umbrella and skidded to a stop beside him. "Come on, Naruto, wake up," Tenten whispered as she pressed her hands to his face, panic building as she leaned close, so her cheek was against his mouth.

It was faint, but he was still breathing.

Good news.

"Just hang on," Tenten pleaded with him as she struggled to figure out what to do.

Tenten knew that she should not remove the kunai as that could cause further damage. She learned that from both her sensei and mother. But she had to figure out how to stop the bleeding somehow!

The best thing she could do is get him to the hospital.

But it was on the other side of town.

Tenten shook her head.

The distance didn't matter.

She had to save him!

Tenten slipped her arms beneath his legs and upper body and began to stand up, pulling him from the ground.

She adjusted him in her arms, which jostled Naruto awake somewhat. "L-Leave…" Naruto wheezed out faintly. "L-Let me die …"

"No way in hell, Uzumaki!" Tenten exclaimed angrily, tears building in her eyes as she looked at him in his hazy, distant eyes. "Why would you do this?!" She cried as she started to run to get him help.

"Just let me…." Naruto drifted off as his head slumped back, losing consciousness,

"No," Tenten whispered in a panic. "I'll get you to the hospital! Just hang in there, alright?! You hear me?! Hang in there!" With determined eyes, Tenten ran as fast as she could to the hospital.

'Please make it!' Tenten thought with panic as the hospital drew near. The second she made it to the hospital door, she kicked them open and screamed, "I need help!"

A doctor rushed to her as Tenten stammered out, "I found h-him with a k-kunai in his chest. His breathing is faint, and he's bleeding all over."

The doctor paled and took Naruto from her arms as he shouted, "We have a Code N9!"

Two nurses quickly pulled up with a bed, which the doctor placed Naruto on, and said, "Get everyone into surgery now."

The nurses nodded and took Naruto.

Tenten tried to follow, but a nurse grabbed her shoulder and said, "You must remain here. He is being taken directly to the operation room."

"W-Will he….?" Tenten asked, unable to finish the words as tears began to fall from her eyes.

"We will do everything we can to save him," The nurse replied gently.

Overcome by her exhaustion and the intense emotions that flowed through her, Tenten fell to her knees.

And with the nurse wrapping her arms around her, Tenten grieved.

She grieved for what she had seen and for the boy who tried to take his life.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Tenrai: Ame Nochi: The Oath  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been two days since Tenten had found Naruto beneath the tree with a kunai embedded in his chest, and Tenrai had been growing concerned.

Since finding him, Tenten had been wracked in guilt.

She couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep. All she did since that day was sit by Naruto's bedside, hoping he would wake up.

Tenrai knew that her daughter was going through many feelings, but she had to focus on herself before she could try to help Naruto."Honey, you need to go home and rest," Tenrai told her, but Tenten shook her head.

"I'm not leaving until he wakes up," Tenten whispered, her eyes locked on Naruto's pale body.

"Honey, you've been here since he arrived here," Tenrai told her sternly but sadly."You're still in the clothes you found him in. You need to go home and change."

"I'm not leaving," Tenten replied softly. "Not until he wakes up."

"Tenten," Tenrai began.

"He wanted to die," Tenten finally whispered as tears slide down her face, stopping Tenrai before she could continue. "He woke up briefly and told me to let him die. Do you know how horrible that is?"

She turned to her mother and whimpered, "Why did he want to die?"

Tenrai felt her heart crack in two for both her daughter and this young man. "Tenten. Sweetie," Tenrai started as she wheeled herself closer to her daughter and wrapped her arms around her, allowing into to collapse against her as she began to weep.

"I know it's hard to see someone do that to themselves," Tenrai whispered as she rubbed her daughter's back. "But he survived and will be okay. I promise you that," she told her.

Tenten struggled slightly, making Tenrai loosen her hold so her daughter could move back. "I…Mother, I need to know why," Tenten cried with tears in her eyes. "Why would he do this? Why would h-he want this?"

Her mother frowned.

"I…." Tenrai immediately drifted off as an unsure expression appeared on her face.

"You know something about this…Don't you?" Tenten asked as she stared at her mother with a frown of her own.

"It's something that we shouldn't discuss," Tenrai answered, only to wince at how weak she sounded.

"So you do know…" Tenten breathed out. "Mother, I beg you; please tell me. What has happened to make him like this?"

Tenrai knew that releasing this secret could make a volatile situation worse, but as she stared at the heartbroken face of her only child, she caved. "Very well…But you mustn't breathe a word of this because this secret is punishable by death," Tenrai acquiesced with a grave tone.

Tenten's eyes widened in surprise.

"I won't. I promise," Tenten replied.

"Good…" Tenrai said. "On the night the Yondaime was killed, he was not able to fully defeat the Kyūbi, so he sealed the demon within a small orphaned child…That small child was Uzumaki Naruto."

Tenten let out a sharp gasp at this.

"He was supposed to be viewed as a hero," Her mother continued. "And he is for making a worthy sacrifice for being the demon's jailer, but many feared him for being the demon itself and sought the death of the child…"

"The villagers of Konoha said this?" Tenten asked. "I just can't see it…Everyone is so kind here…"

"It is the truth…" Tenrai confirmed, sadly. "A riot nearly broke out until the Sandaime ordered everyone to keep this an S-Rank secret, and while many did…They decided to hurt him in many ways…"

"H-How?" Tenten stammered.

Tenrai's shoulder slumped in shame. "The villagers began to refer to him as a demon, selling him overpriced items, even when they were expired," Tenrai began. "Bullying him, running people that helped him out of business. But the main one was Isolation. They made him into a pariah."

Tenten was silent for a moment, digesting all that her mother had told her. "Then why didn't you help him?" Tenten asked.

Tenrai could hear the anger in her daughter's words and let out another sigh. "I couldn't," her mother admitted sadly. "This was right after your father passed away from his injuries during the Kyūbi attack, and I wasn't in my right mind."

Tenrai could feel the stinging of tears in her eyes. "I feel so much shame for not being there for Naruto, and there is no Kami in this world that I wouldn't bow to for forgiveness for what I've done to him. But you must understand. At the time, this was a raw wound for everyone in the village. We were all blinded by rage and by anguish…"

"Rage? Anguish?" Tenten questioned as Tenrai saw the anger in her eyes. "Everyone mistreated him for something that wasn't even true! Look at what these villagers did! Look at what I…." Tenrai watched as a realization appeared on her face.

"Oh, Kami," Tenten whispered as a remorseful expression appeared on her face. "All this time, I thought of him as a failure and a pest. I even hesitated in helping him because I was afraid they would sympathize with a demon." Tenrai watched as Tenten began to tremble. "I did this to him. I was part of the reason he did this. I was-"

"Honey," Tenrai said as she put her hands on Tenten's face. She could see Tenten spiraling down into a manic episode. "You need to calm down. It wasn't you that caused his sadness. It is our fault. You grew up to listen to us awful adults shame this poor child to the point you mirrored our hatred of him. You can't blame yourself for this."

"How can I not?!" Tenten wailed. "I was no better than them! How could I do this? Why kind of monster am I? What kind of monsters are these villagers? He never deserved this!"

"Tenten," Tenrai said.

"No!" Tenten said as she pushed away from Tenrai and stood up. "No one deserves to be treated like he did! We're horrible, monstrous creatures!"

And with those words, Tenten ran out of the hospital room while Tenrai yelled, "Tenten!" after her.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Gai: Ame Nochi: The Oath  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Green Beast of Konoha never liked to frown.

His sensei once told him that "The shinobi world is filled with adversity, sorrow, and strife. Behind every human being is a story of tragedy. In this world, those who can smile despite it all are the strongest of all."

Those words etched themselves in his soul, and it helped shape his Nindo.

But as he stood behind Tenten, who sat there in front of a tree in Team 7's training ground in the rain, he felt himself frown.

Tenrai had called him beside herself and explained what had occurred between her and his student.

And it was there he discovered what happened to one Uzumaki Naruto.

Gai had always admired Naruto.

The young boy held such a fierce creature within him, but he always carried on a smile despite it all. Gai felt that Naruto was the strongest of them all and had eyed him down many times to want to take him under his wing, as he did Rock Lee.

When Tenrai told him about the state of the youth and his student, Gai was saddened and horrified. And despite how sick and weak he was, he promised Tenrai he would find his student for her.

"Tenten," Gai said, announcing himself to the girl.

"He was in this spot, sensei. He had stabbed himself," Tenten whispered. "All because of what these villagers did. All because of what I did."

Gai had never heard Tenten sound so weak before.

It was jarring.

"Sensei….I do not know what to do," Tenten admitted. "We hurt him so bad that he tried to…." Tenten's breath hitched. "Take his own life…." She finished.

Gai walked up to her and sat to her left. "I truly understand how you feel," Gai told her.

"Do you?" Tenten asked him. "Everyone in this village acts as if we are the greatest in the world. That we were blessed by Kami himself to be the beacon of peace, unity, and power, and yet we do this? We make a pariah out of a child."

"He was a child forced into a terrible fate," Gai told her softly. "The Yondaime wished for us to view him as our champion. We disobeyed the Yondaime's dying wish and turned our backs on the hero of Konoha."

"Some village we are," Tenten spat out. "He saved their lives. He saved my life," Tenten told him. "And what do we say in return? "Hey Naruto, I know you sacrificed your life to hold this monster back, so let us reward your sacrifice by bullying, belittling, abandoning, and driving you to suicide." Congrats, hero!"

Tenten let out a bitter laugh. "We backstabbed the Yoindaime and Naruto. We're nothing but trash."

Gai remained silent.

"Naruto deserves better than this. He deserves better from us," Tenten whispered as she looked at her hands. "We have failed the Yondaime by disregarding his final words. We have disgraced and hurt the child who holds back the Kyūbi no Kitsune." Gai watched as Tenten close her hands tight enough to pierce her palm, causing blood to dribble from them. "But no more," she whispered.

"Tenten?" Gai questioned.

"Mother once told me about a seal that binds a user to another," Tenten murmured as her head began to rise from its slumped position. "She said that when you're making a promise to another, this seal forces you to keep your word to them, no matter the circumstances."

Tenten turned to look at him, and it was then that Gai saw a burning determination he had never seen before. "Gai-sensei, I demand to be sealed with the Hogo-sha Chikai."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Tenten: To be continued  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	3. You're Mine

Tenrai was in disbelief.

"You cannot be serious, Maito-kun," The woman said as she looked at her best friend.

"It's true, Hōkuai-chan," Gai told her with a firm expression on his face. "She wants to perform the Hogo-sha Chikai."

"I get that but what I don't understand is why she is making such a rash decision like this," Tenrai muttered as she crossed her arms. "To go from not knowing a person to wanting that seal is concerning," Tenrai said.

"I know, and I told her of this," Gai replied. "But Tenten feels that this village has let both Uzumaki-kun and the Yondaime down. She firmly believes that she was apart of the reason Naruto attempted to kill himself."

"No, she was only parroting what the villagers felt. What I had felt," Tenrai said, her self-loathing rising to the surface.

"I know," Gai said as he placed a hand on top of hers, which made Tenrai look at him with tears in her eyes. "But regardless of parroting the older generation or not, she called herself a monster. She blamed herself for what he did, and it is tearing her apart," Gai continued. "Her guilt and grief are what is driving her to want to do the seal. She wants to make up for what she feels that she has done. I understand that all too well."

Tenrai frowned.

Her late-husband, Hōkuai Yoshitora, and Maito Gai had been friends and teammates since their youth.

And while she knew of her husband's friendship with Gai, she was unaware of how close he and her husband was until Gai showed up at her home after her husband passed away.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_"Maito-san….You didn't," Tenrai whispered as she stared at the intricate seal that sat on Gai's chest._

_The seal's image resembled a blooming Scilla flower, with the middle of the flower being an empty circle._

_The size of the seal was vast, with the top petal going beneath his neck, the upper petals going to each shoulder, the side petals stretching to the sides of his body, the lower petals going to his hips, and finally, the bottom petal going down his stomach._

_And directly above his heart was where the empty circle was placed._

_Tenrai looked at the seal as remorseful Gai explained, "Yoshi-kun and I both made an oath to protect one another. Both in and outside of battle. And I have failed."_

_"Maito-san, you did not anticipate this," Tenrai told the man, but he shook his head. "No one could have."_

_"It doesn't matter," Gai replied as he lowered his head. "I let him down, I let you and your daughter down. And that is why I am here…."_

_Gai placed a kunai in her hand while he softly said, "I failed to protect him, and that is my burden to bear. But this seal shows that I am ready to swear an oath to you."_

_"Maito-san," Tenrai began as fresh tears started to flow down her face. You do not have to do this."_

_"I know," Gai told her. "But I want to."_

_Tenrai looked at the kunai for a moment before she glanced back at Gai and softly asked, "Are you sure?"_

_"With my life," Gai replied._

_Tenrai glanced at the kunai and lowered her head before she cut her right palm with the kunai and placed it in the empty circle._

_Tenrai could feel her chakra being sapped from the wound on her palm into his chest._

_She then watched as a wave of chakra flowed from the empty circle through the "petals" before the entire seal was glowing. After a moment, Tenrai removed her palm and saw that her handprint, now radiating with chakra as well, now occupied the open space._

_"Hōkuai Tenrai," Gai began."On my honor and my life, I, Maito Gai, swear to you this. I vow to protect you and your daughter until the end of my days. And should I fail, I will willingly perish beside you you accept my Oath?"_

_The seal then faded away, leaving the Jōnin's chest bare, but all Tenrai could notice now was the determination that shined in Gai's eyes._

_"I accept, Maito Gai, " Tenrai whispered._  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And since then, Gai had stayed true to his word and the seal he carried.

It was strange at first to have someone like Gai in her life.

While Yoshitora was a strong-minded, smooth, cunning, and flirty man, Gai was earnest, goofy, and straight-laced. It took a while to get used to such a vast difference between them, but after two years of Gai's dynamic entry into her life, she came to enjoy Gai's company.

And shortly after Tenten became a Genin, Tenrai found herself sincere in love with the goofy man.

But despite her feelings for the Green Beast, she felt guilty for having these feelings. She loved Yoshitora, but If she were to pursue a relationship with Gai, it would be like betraying Yoshitora.

But at the same time, she felt guilty about Gai as well.

From the moment she completed the Hogo-sha Chikai, the Jōnin had put both Tenten and herself above his wants and desires. Knowing Gai as well as she does, Gai probably withheld finding the love of his life because he was honor-bound by the seal he took on for her late husband.

And even if she could admit her feelings to him, she was unaware of his feelings for her. Did he love her as she did him? And even if he did, would he feel like he was betraying Yoshitora for being in love with her like she did with him?

These were the questions that plagued Tenrai.

And while the circumstances of why Gai took on the seal were different from why her daughter wanted the seal, Tenrai did not wish for Tenten to push her happiness or life to the side to protect Naruto and honor the Yondaime's words.

But at the same time, Tenten was a kunoichi now, and she was able to receive the seal if she wanted it.

But was it right for her to get it?

"I wish I knew what to do," Tenrai sighed out.

"If she wants the seal, it is in her right. The best we can do is inform her of her decision to get it," Gai told her.

"You're right," Tenrai said. "Why don't you stay here so when Tenten returns, we can discuss with her the risk she is taking with the seal."

Gai nodded.

Tenrai could only hope that her daughter wasn't as bullheaded as her father was.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Tenten: Ame Nochi: The Oath  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like she had done the previous days, Tenten sat beside Naruto's bed, praying that this would be the day he would wake up.

"Come on, Uzumaki," Tenten whispered. "There is so much I need to tell you. So much I need to atone for, but I can't even start to make it up to you without you here." Tenten separated her hands so she could wipe a tear away before she clasped them together.

"Please wake up…" she whispered.

As if Kami had heard her prayer, Tenten watched as Naruto slowly open his eyes.

"Where…." Naruto began, his voice weak.

Tenten gasped as a watery smile appeared on her face. "You're finally awake!" Tenten exclaimed out happily as Naruto looked at her, his eyes still that hauntingly dull blue.

"You…" Naruto croaked out weakly. "Where am I?"

"The hospital," Tenten explained as she quickly poured a glass of water from the pitcher the doctor had left her and handed it to Naruto to drink. "I found you beneath that tree three days ago. Doctors said you were barely clinging on, but they were able to save you."

Naruto drank the water before he managed a soft, heartbreaking "Oh…"

The happiness Tenten felt soon died away as tears began to fill Naruto's eyes. "I stayed with you the entire time so I can….Hey…What's the matter?" Tenten asked in concern as she reached out to him, but Naruto turned away from her.

"I tried so hard," Naruto whispered as the tears began to fall. "I just wanted the pain to stop. That's all I wanted, and yet I-I couldn't even do that right…"

Tenten felt heartbreak at the sight of Naruto as he began to weep.

She had done this to him.

"Hey, it's okay," she breathed out as she stood up from her chair and crawled into bed, and pulled him into her arms for a tight hug.

She felt Naruto freeze up immediately in her arms and whispered, "It's okay…It'll be okay…" Tenten shut her eyes as Naruto sobbed against her chest and took a shuddered breath to hold back her own emotions, but she kept them buried deep inside of her.

Because right now, he was the one who was hurting, and she would be the one to help him through this.

"Why did you save me?" Naruto cried against her chest. "I told you to go away and leave me be! I didn't want to-" Naruto began.

"Be a bother, I know…" Tenten interrupted as she pulled away to grasped his face in her hands. "And you know what, you aren't."

"But I was…" Naruto said.

"You weren't," Tenten said. "I wanted to tell you this the day you woke up but couldn't, so just listen…please?"

Naruto shut his mouth and nodded.

"I heard of your reputation, and I won't lie to you, I feared for my mother's shop and how it would suffer if they found out about us helping you, and admittedly, my own feelings were warped by the poison that the villagers sprouted…I was selfish and stupid, and I'm so sorry…"

Tenten felt tears fill her eyes, but she took a sharp breath and said, "This village has hurt you so much. I hurt you so much. I repeated every horrible thought that the villagers did all because of my idiotic misconceptions about you," Tenten shamefully said as she looked away from him.

It was then she felt a hand touch her cheek, which caused her to open her eyes. She saw Naruto smiling at her. It was small and sad looking, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"It's not your fault," Naruto whispered with a sad yet compassionate tone as he wiped her eyes. "You shouldn't cry for me…I'm not worth them..." Naruto told her gently.

"How can you say that about yourself?" Tenten asked him with a distressed tone in her voice.

Naruto's sad smile grew, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to shine as he replied, "Because I'm not. I have never been. Never will be."

Tenten scowled and pulled him back into a tight hug, more tears falling from her eyes. "Idiot! You're an idiot for thinking that! And I'm a bigger one for causing all of this…"

"You didn't cause any of this…" Naruto whispered against her neck. "It's my fault…I deserved everythi-"

"No, you don't!" Tenten yelled as her tears continued to fall. "You don't deserve it at all, Naruto," Tenten said as she gently separated him. She watched as tears fell down his eyes and gently wiped them away as she said, "This village used you as the scapegoat because of the Kyūbi no Kitsune."

"Y-You…You know?" Naruto asked with a fearful tone.

"I know…" Tenten confirmed. "You didn't ask for the Yondaime to do what he did! You were supposed to be a hero, per the Yondaime's final wishes, and they let you both down…" Tenten looked away and said, "And I was following in their footsteps…But today is where that ends."

Tenten then looked at Naruto with a determined look in her eyes before she leaned up off the bed, unbuttoned her shirt, and removed her sports-bra, revealing her bare chest to Naruto.

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise before Tenten took his hand and placed it in the spot above her heart. "Do you feel that?" Tenten asked. "That's my heart, right?"

Mutely, Naruto nodded.

"There is a seal called the Hoga-Sha Chikai. It is a seal that bonds us by an oath. When giving this oath, you place your bloody hand here above my heart, and it actives. Once that seal is placed and completed with your bloody handprint, it will no longer be my heart."

Naruto looked at her in confusion as he asked, "What do you mean?"

"When I found you after your attempt, I realized that I had caused you to go down this road, and I can't live with the guilt that I helped put you down this path. And so, once I get that seal, the heart that beats beneath your palm will no longer be mine. This heart, and thus my life will belong to you. "

"I can't let you do that," Naruto said softly as he looked away from her. "I don't deserve something like that." Tenten shook her head and gingerly turned his head back, so he was looking at her once more.

"Yesterday, I told my sensei that I wanted this seal, not only to atone for disregarding you and the Yondaime's final promise. But because I want to be honor-bound to you. You are the hero of Konoha. You selflessly sacrificed his life to hold back the Kyūbi to save us all," Tenten whispered as she placed her hand on top of his

"I know you don't have reason to believe me after my callous thoughts and disregard for you but believe me now. Let me be there for you, Uzumaki Naruto. Let me prove that I can protect you." Tenten gently told him as she placed her free hand on his face.

She could see both bitterness and hope in his eyes, and for a moment, she thought he would turn away from her again, but instead, he asked her, "Are you sure that you want this? To be honor-bound to someone like me?"

"You suffered all your life from the misguided hatred from not only myself but this entire village. In my eyes, you are the noblest person I have ever seen, and I would be honored to be bound to you," Tenten told him sincerely.

"Okay…" Naruto whispered as a hesitant smile formed on his face. "If this is what you want, then I trust and believe in you."

Tenten let a broad smile appear on her face.

He trusted her!

"That's wonderful. That's perfect!" Tenten exclaimed, unable to hide her joy at his words. Tenten straightened out her back and said with a hint of nervous energy, "Right now, I don't have the seal, but I will still make this vow to you here and now. You ready?"

Naruto let out a small giggle and nodded, which made her heart flutter before she cleared her throat. "Uzumaki Naruto," Tenten began. "On my honor and my life, I, Hōkuai Tenten, promise to protect you from anyone that wishes you any harm, both inside and outside this village. And should I fail to protect you, then I will perish beside you. That is my oath to you. Do you accept?"

"I accept," Naruto told her bashfully.

Tenten let a broad grin form on her face. "Then until our dying day, you, Uzumaki Naruto, are mine."

And as she spoke these words, Naruto gifted her a warm smile, and to Tenten, it felt as if the sun finally broke through the rainclouds, bringing much-needed sunlight back to Konoha.

And back to her life.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Tenten: To be Continued  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	4. Unworthy

Tenrai had just finished making a set of kunai for the Hyūga clan when Tenten rushed through the door with an upset look on her face, startling her greatly. "Ten-chan, what is the matter?" Tenrai questioned as Tenten paced back and forth.

"What's the matter?!" Tenten yelled as angry tears fell down her eyes. "This damn village is the problem! How dare they do that to him?!"

"Tenten, calm down and talk to me," Tenrai said.

"I went to the hospital today!" Tenten yelled. "I finally get to see Naruto a-and…And damn it!" Tenten knocked over the table that sat beside her before she fell to her knees. "This village broke him, mom. He feels like he doesn't deserve anything…"

Tenrai rolled up to her daughter as her daughter tearfully told her, "He kept blaming himself for what happened to him…No matter how much I tried to fight him on it…How could this village let something like that happen to him? How could we be so blind?"

"Hōkuai Tenten," Tenrai said with a stern voice, prompting her sad daughter to look at her with her sad toffee-brown eyes. "I didn't raise a daughter who breaks down in sadness when things get tough, did I?" Tenrai asked.

"N-No…" Tenten replied.

"You have a hurting shinobi to help heal, right?" Tenrai asked.

"I do…" Tenten replied, her voice a little stronger than before.

"Then stand up, wipe those tears, and show that Hōkuai spirit," Tenrai said with a smile.

Tenten nodded with a determined grin as she stood up off the ground. "You're right. If I'm going to live up to my oath, I need to get started with finding him a home."

Tenrai was about to comment on Naruto possibly being homeless when her face paled."Your oath?"

Tenten nodded as a slight blush appeared on her face. "Y-yeah, I completed the Hoga-Sha Chikai. Well, the Oath portion of it, at least. I don't have enough to get the seal yet."

"Tenten…" Tenrai began. "I wish you had spoken to me about this."

"Why?" Tenten asked. "Naruto is Konoha's hero, and he deserves to be protected after all he's been through."

"I understand that honey, but the Hoga-Sha Chikai is a solemn commitment. That seal is not something that can be discarded at a whim," Tenrai explained. "Once you get that seal, you're bonded to that individual to life."

"I understand that," Tenten softly replied.

"Do you?" Tenrai asked.

"Naruto is worth the seal," Tenten told her softly. "You didn't see him as I did. You did not talk to him as I did. If anyone deserves the seal, it's him."

"And what if being bonded to him costs you a family, your dream, or even your life? Do you think it would be worth it then?" Tenrai asked.

At Tenten's silence, Tenrai said, "I know that you are old enough to get the seal. But I worry about your future, and so does Maito-kun. So, could you think about this for a while? Because even without the seal, you protect Naruto and keep your word to him."

Tenten nodded and whispered, "I will think about it. I promise."

"That is good," Tenrai said with a smile before she gave her daughter a peck on the side of her head. "Now, you said something about finding Naruto a home?"

Tenten nodded.

"The day Naruto-kun tried to k-kill himself, he found all of his stuff thrown out and his apartment empty. Once he gets out of the hospital, he won't have anywhere to go," Tenten explained. "So I need to find him a new home."

"Well, that solves one problem because we have the spare room, remember?" Tenrai asked.

"You're saying Naruto could live here?" Tenten asked with a look of surprise on her face.

"Of course I am," Tenrai replied with a smile. "While I worry about you being honor-bound by him, I did not forget about Naruto and what he has gone through. I made my mistakes with treating Naruto the way I did. I am implicit in the heartache he is going through. The first step to making amends is by letting him live with us."

Tenrai then grinned and added, "And I bet as someone that wants to protect him, you'd want him close, right?"

Tenten blushed a bit but nodded in agreement.

"Then it's settled; Naruto stays here," Tenrai said. "And if the other villages dislike that, they can kiss my crippled ass."

Tenten snorted and grinned as well. "Damn right," she agreed.

"Now, he has a place to live…What's the next step?" Tenrai asked.

Tenten furrowed eyebrows before her face brightened up. "Decorations!" Tenten exclaimed.

"Go find out what he likes, and then when he comes here, we surprise him with a beautiful room," Tenrai said.

"Yosh!" Tenten said before she gave Tenrai a big hug and whispered, "Thanks, mom…" before she rushed out the door.

Tenrai smiled as she watched her daughter rush off. "Oh Yoshitora…You would be so proud of our daughter…She certainly has your heart…"  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Naruto: Ame Nochi: The Oath  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"A-Are you sure I can stay here?" Naruto asked with a concerned tone in his voice as the pair stood in front of the "Blades of Royai" Weapons shop.

It had been one week since Naruto had attempted to end his life, and Tenten hadn't left his side.

She told him that her sensei had given her permission to stay with him until he was ready, and while he appreciated this, he didn't want her to waste her time with him.

He wasn't anything special. He was just a guy that barely became a shinobi, while she was exceptional from all the stories she told him about her missions. He didn't deserve to sit in the same room as her.

She was destined for great things while he just wanted to fall into a deep sleep and never wake up.

And yet, he couldn't voice this.

Tenten was so sad that she nearly started to cry the last time he had, so he didn't voice this thought anymore.

He didn't want to hurt her. She had been so lovely to him and wanted to be honor-bound to him, of all people, and she didn't deserve to cry because of him after her oath to him.

Naruto, now dressed in a simple white shirt and white pants, stared at the ground with a nervous expression. He didn't want to trouble Tenten anymore than he already had to. She had gone and got him new clothes and even offered a spare bedroom for him.

She went through so much trouble for him, and he didn't even deserve it.

Tenten gave him a grin and said, "Damn right. I made a promise, and the first step to that is having you stay with me."

Naruto nodded and offered a tiny, albeit still unsure, smile in return as he gripped his right forearm with his left hand.

The two entered the shop, and Tenten shouted, "Mom! We're back!"

Tenrai wheeled herself out from the backroom, offered a small smile to Naruto, and said, "Welcome home, Uzumaki-san. I have your room prepared for you."

Naruto frowned and quickly meekly replied with, "Y-You didn't have to do that for me. I don't want to cause any extra trouble for you, Hōkuai-san..."

"Nonsense," Tenrai responded with a wave of her hand. "I prepared Tenten's room as well as my own and now yours."

"T-Thank you…" Naruto whispered, his eyes looking at the floor.

"I just closed the shop for dinner before you guys got here. Let's go eat," Tenrai said.

"You're in for a treat," Tenten said as she nudged Naruto's side. "Mom is the best cook in the world. She made a huge amount of food to celebrate your release from the hospital this week."

"R-Really, you didn't have to do that…" Naruto told them both with a weak smile.

"A good shinobi must train all of their tools," Tenrai recited. "Cooking is just another one of those skills. Besides, this is a joyous day."

With Tenrai and Tenten leading the way, Naruto walked to the back room and walked past the blacksmithing room to the dining room where a large amount of food sat.

From Cooked beef, grilled chicken, and salad to fried rice with shrimp and veggies within it and even nicely made pastries, Naruto stood agape.

He had never seen such a large amount of food in one place before. "Well, come on and take a seat," Tenrai said with a smile as she motioned to the table. Naruto slowly made his way to the table and sat on the opposite side of Tenten while Tenrai wheeled herself to the head of the table.

The two clapped their hands and said "Itadakimasu" in unison before they began to eat.

Naruto gave a tiny clap of his hand and mumbled, "I-Itadakimasu…" before he took a few slices of beef and some rice and began to eat.

While he loved his Ramen, this food was utterly delicious.

It was something he didn't deserve to have.

As he sat there and listened to Tenrai and Tenten talk, he felt that familiar feeling of sadness worm it's way into his heart. What was he doing? He wasn't some average person that deserved to be happy.

This was for someone that had earned this, not someone who couldn't even take his own life.

"Uzumaki-kun, is everything okay?" Tenrai asked, snapping Naruto from his thoughts.

"I-I'm fine…really," Naruto said with a weak smile. "Just enjoying this wonderful food…I thank you so much for making this for me, but I-I couldn't have another bite…"

Naruto barely touched the plate of food, but he was honest. He couldn't take another bite of this because he didn't earn this.

"Hey, why don't I show you to your room?" Tenten suggested. "You might be exhausted, and as Gai-sensei always says, "A well-rested heart remains a youthful heart." And I agree with him."

"That sounds like a good idea, Uzumaki-kun," Tenrai added on with a smile. "You two go up and rest then while I put this all away," Tenrai said with a kind smile.

Guilt continued to build in Naruto's heart at these words. She made all of this for him, and now she had to put it all away after he couldn't eat?

"I can put it all away if you'd like?" Naruto asked with a stammer. "I-I mean, you don't have to accept, but I would feel bad if you had to put it all away…"

"You don't have to do that, Uzumaki-kun," Tenrai said.

"Nonsense," Naruto replied with a genuine smile as he fumbled a bit before he said, "Shadow clone Jutsu!"

With a poof of smoke, ten Naruto's appeared behind him, all of them wearing that eager smile. "S-See? I can do it," Naruto said.

"Are you sure?" Tenrai asked with a concerned tone.

He had heard that tone whenever he overheard a mother and child spoke. He didn't deserve that motherly tone she had given to him. "Positive," Naruto replied.

Tenrai frowned a bit, but she nodded and said, "Well, I will use your clones to help. You two go rest now."

"We will…Thanks Naruto," Tenten said as she smiled at Naruto.

He looked away with a faint frown. Tenten shouldn't smile at him like that.

It wasn't his place to receive it.

"Come on. Let me show you to your room," Tenten said.

After bidding Tenrai goodnight, the pair walked into the backroom and up to the second floor, where Naruto immediately saw a door that had an orange banner across it that said "Welcome Home" on it.

Tenten stopped in front of it and said, "Well…Open it."

Naruto opened the door, and when he did, he let out a small gasp.

The room was vast in size, with orange/pink painted walls that reminded Naruto of a sunset. The bed he had was a king-sized one, and it had the covers and pillows had cute tiny green frog prints on them.

Tons of teddy bears lined the top of the bed where four massive pillows laid, ranging from frogs, foxes, and regular bears on the bed, and in the middle, there was a bouquet on the bed.

Naruto felt his eyes water as he walked into the bedroom and looked around, almost worried that this was all a cruel trick. There was a full bathroom, a closet, a mahogany dresser, and a desk, the latter of which had several new and unopened ramen noodle cups on it.

"Welcome to your room," Tenten said happily.

Naruto turned to her, his blue eyes watering up. "I-Is this really for me?" he asked quietly.

Tenten's large smile shrunk into a sincere one as she nodded. "After I left the hospital the other day, I asked the Hokage what your favorite things were. It all cost a pretty penny, but I decided to splurge before saving up every penny for the Hoga-Sha Chikai," Tenten said before he saw her eyes light up.

"O-Oh, before I forget," Tenten stammered before she rushed to the dresser and opened it to reveal orange clothes. "I know how much you liked orange, so I bought as much orange clothing that I could."

At the sight of all that Tenten had done for him, the feelings of guilt finally overwhelmed Naruto, and he began to sob, just as Tenten turned around.

He could see the smile on her face melt away as she murmured, "Oh, Naruto…" Tenten then wrapped her arms around him as Naruto fell into her.

"Y-You did all this for me…I don't deserve it…" Naruto whimpered out with a weak voice as he buried his face against her chest and wrapped his arms around her as her arm tightened around him.

"Hey, It's okay," she whispered as she pulled away from his body for a moment; he felt selfish that her warmth was gone from him. "I wanted to do this for you to show you that I meant what I said…You're mine to protect and make happy."

"I-I'm sorry," Naruto stammered out. "I-I didn't…"

"Don't apologize," Tenten sweetly murmured as she pulled him back against her, and he allowed it. "You didn't do a damn thing wrong, Naruto-kun…" she whispered against his hair. "One day…you realize that you deserve the nicest things…And I will guide you to that discovery. I promise…"

Tenrai: Ame Nochi: The Oath

"Naruto! Tenten! It's time to wake up!" Tenrai yelled for the fourth time before she frowned slightly.

Tenrai rolled herself to the lift and made sure her wheelchair was secured before pressing the button on the right console.

The lift began to rise and take her to the second floor, and when she got up there, Tenrai noticed that the room she and Tenten had decorated for Naruto was open, and when Tenrai entered the room, she received a sight.

Naruto and Tenten were sleeping on the bed, their arms wrapped around one another. Tenrai knew that this should have been inappropriate, but she paused before she woke them up.

They were above the covers, and both were still dressed. And judging from the wetness on Naruto's cheeks, she could tell he was crying.

The brief anger melted away into shame and sadness.

When Tenten mentioned that the normal mischievous blond prankster had been broken, she didn't believe it, but from how shy and reserved he looked at their brief encounter, Tenrai could see he was far more broken than her dear daughter had known.

She had to make this right.

But how?

Tenrai's eyes widened.

His sensei!

She knew from the headband that he was an official shinobi. Perhaps speaking to his sensei would give her some idea on what to do about Naruto.

Now to find out who his sensei was.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Naruto: To be continued.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	5. A Mother's Concern

"Ah Hōkuai-san, what brings you here?"

Hōkuai Tenrai sat before the Sandaime Hokage with a stern expression on her face. "Hokage-sama, please forgive this sudden meeting, but I wish to discuss Uzumaki Naruto and his placement on Team 7," Tenrai answered.

"I see," The Hokage said with a nod. "Is there something wrong with it?"

"Hokage-sama," Tenrai answered. "At first, you would believe that there isn't; however, that is not the case."

"What do you mean?" The Hokage questioned.

"Well…When Naruto-kun tried to end his own life," Tenrai began with a frown on her face. "Team Gai and I, along with the owners of Ichikaru Ramen, had visited Naruto-kun in the hospital day after day, once he started to allow visitors, of course, but his team never showed up."

"That is a little concerning but not out of the ordinary considering their profession," The Hokage responded.

"Very true. However, being a new Squad, they are primarily in the village until they receive their first C-Rank," Tenrai replied. "And not once, during their shift or after it, did they ever visit Naruto. Not even his sensei. When I had my team, I was there for them at every point in their lives. It makes no sense that none of his team showed up. So I went to talk to Hatake-san."

"You did?" The Hokage asked with a curious expression.

"I did, and let me tell you what happened…" Tenrai answered.

* * *

Tenrai: Flashback – One Day Ago

* * *

_"Team 7 training ground…" Gai said as he finished pushing Tenrai._

_"Thank you again for bringing me here, Maito-kun. I truly appreciate your help," Tenrai said with a kind smile._

_"It is no problem at all, Hōkuai-chan," Gai replied, his normal, boisterous voice becoming softer. "I did make a promise after all."_

_Tenrai chuckled softly._

_"Ah! It looks Like Kakashi-kun is still here. We're in luck," Gai said._

_"Great, time to get to the bottom of this," Tenrai said before Gai began to push her wheelchair out onto the field._

_Tenrai saw Kakashi sitting in front of the Memorial Stone with a cup of ramen in his hand as they got closer._

_Tenrai always felt sorry for the silver-haired Jōnin._

_In short order, he lost Obito, Rin, and then the Yondaime and his wife. He was the last member of Team Seven. The survivor's guilt was so intense; he spent his days wasting away in front of the Memorial Stone._

_And while she understood that loss due to losing Yoshitora, Tenrai knew her late husband would be angry if she just wasted away mourning him than living her life, so she continued to push forward no matter what._

_Too bad Kakashi couldn't._

_"Yo, Kakashi-kun!" Gai said, announcing himself to Kakashi, who turned around and raised a noodle cup to the pair._

_"Hey, Gai, Hey Tenrai-san," Kakashi replied. "I was just eating ramen while talking to Sensei and his wife. What's up?"_

_"Gai-kun, do you mind leaving us alone for a spell?" Tenrai asked. She knew that Gai thought highly of Kakashi, and depending on his answer to her question, and she didn't want that to lessen his view of one of his friends._

_"Of course Hōkuai-chan! I shall be back in a few minutes!" Gai said before he raced off, leaving the pair alone._

_"Have you been here the entire time doing this?" Tenrai questioned after two minutes of silence._

_"Not really. I did some training with my students for a few hours, then did a few missions around the village after that. I just wrapped everything up," Kakashi answered. "Why do you ask?"_

_"Well, did you forget you had three Genin to look after?" Tenrai asked._

_Kakashi's brows furrowed before he replied, "Oh…I knew something was amiss. Uzumaki Naruto is my third Genin. He was pretty sick the two days we met for training, so I sent him home on the third day to rest it off. I believe it's been six days since then?"_

_"So after six days, you just assumed he was still sick and just never checked upon him?" Tenrai questioned with a frown on her face._

_"Yeah. Naruto looked somewhat rough when I saw him last. I wanted him to get all the rest he could. It worked out in my favor somewhat because I got so much training done with Sasuke once the rain started to lighten up. But other than that, I've been too busy to check up on him," Kakashi replied._

_Tenrai noticed that he only named one of his students and not the other, which made her frown._

_'One problem at a time,' the retired kunoichi thought before she replied, "I get training your student could keep your hands full but is this what you also call "Very busy?" Wasting your days in front of the Memorial Stone?"_

_"Now that's not fair, Tenrai," Kakashi replied, a flash of hurt appearing in his eye. "You of all people know what they meant to me…"_

_Tenrai paused, then let out a breath and said, "I know, and I'm sorry, but they are dead. You have a responsibility to the living. Especially Naruto. Do you know what he tried to do and why I'm here today?"_

_Kakashi shook his head._

_"The reason he got sick in the first place was that he left tied on the wooden stump after he passed your test," Tenrai began with a firm expression. "That's why my daughter told me. She found him tied to the post in the rain. Tenten and I took care of him, but he ran off before he could get better. Three days later, he then got kicked out of his home, and that was his tipping point…"_

_"What do you mean by 'Tipping point'?" Kakashi asked._

_Tenrai took a deep breath and said, "My daughter found him with a kunai in his chest…He tried to kill himself."_

_She could see the shock and horror fill Kakashi's visible eye as he held his chest as if struck by an invisible fist. "T-That can't be. You're not talking about my student, Uzumaki Naruto, could you?" Kakashi asked._

_"The very same…My daughter barely saved his life…He was unconscious for days after that and recovered the other four. He's currently sleeping in my home…"_

_"I-I…" Kakashi stammered in disbelief. "I don't believe that. I can't believe that. W-Why?"_

_"You know why Kakashi," Tenrai replied softly. "He's the outcast of this damned village...Sunrise to sunset, all we've done is abandon him, and he broke because of it. He's only thirteen years old, and we did that to him. We crushed his spirit. If not for my daughter, he would be dead, and we're to blame for that."_

_Kakashi sat there, his shoulders slumped and his eye locked on the ground._

_Tenrai's eyes softened as she stared at the man and murmured, "Kakashi…The entire village owes that boy a debt we can never repay. Not only for holding the Kyūbi but for the mental and spiritual damage that we all caused him. But you, Kakashi, you were close to the Yondaime, and you're Naruto's sensei. You should be the first one to be honoring his request and keeping Naruto as the top priority."_

_"I know…I know…" Kakashi said softly._

_"Then why haven't you?" Tenrai asked._

_"Because I also have an obligation to Obito…" Kakashi said. "Sensei, he meant the world to me, but Obito died for me,…And I failed to keep his promise before…The best I can do is help a fellow Uchiha in achieving his dreams."_

_Kakashi then let out a resigned sigh and said, "And deep down…I-I admit that I resent Naruto. I know he doesn't have the demon in him, but I know that he was one reason my sensei died that day. And a part of me can't let that go, no matter how much I try and believe me, I've been trying…."_

_Tenrai let out a sign and said, "Then you need to take on an apprenticeship with the Uchiha instead of wasting both Naruto and your other student's time. They need a sensei that will be there for them, not just forget about them. Especially when one of them is someone that is always tossed away…"_

_"You're right as always, Tenrai," Kakashi said as he stood up. "It's time for me to do the right thing…For Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto…"_

* * *

Tenrai: Flashback End – Present Time

* * *

"I see," The Hokage finished with a frown on his face. "I knew of Kakashi's slight resentment regarding Uzumaki Naruto but was told that it wouldn't be an issue…But knowing he was focusing his training for the Uchiha alone is very troublesome to hear."

"What shall be done then?" Tenrai questioned with a frown. "I will not have someone blatantly hinder both of his students just to prop one of them up, despite his reasons."

"I understand, but what team will he be on now?" Tenrai asked.

"I will worry about that. However, I must ask you something now," The Hokage said. "I understand that you invited Naruto into your home, correct?"

"Correct," Tenrai said.

"Why is that Hōkuai-san?" The Sandaime questioned with an emotionless tone. Tenrai could feel the air chill the moment he asked, but she didn't feel fear.

She knew he would ask this question, and as she always told her daughter, "When all else failed, follow what your heart is telling you," and there was no way she wasn't going to follow her own advice.

"Just as I told Kakashi, we owe a debt to that boy, and knowing what he has gone through, I realize that me caring now for him after being complicit in turning him into a pariah in his own home is pathetic of me. I laid my bed, and I should lie in it," Tenrai paused to keep her own emotions in check.

"But I can't turn away…He needs help, and my daughter won't be enough. He needs guidance and love from a parental unit, and after all that's he's gone through, I want to be the one to give him that. I want to adopt him and give him all the love I can because he's more than earned it…" Tenrai said.

The Hokage frowned at this and let it grow quiet for a moment, then replied, "I don't know if I can grant that for now. However, with this said, I will be watching from this moment. If you keep true to your word, then I'll allow you to become his guardian."

"That's all I ask…" Tenrai asked with a bow of her head. "Thank you for giving me this chance Hokage-sama…"

The Hokage nodded, and Tenrai began to roll herself towards the exit of his office before she asked, "Hokage-sama…May I suggest something?"

The Hokage nodded.

"Naruto and my daughter have grown close, and my daughter is protective of him…So much so that she wants to bind herself to him using the Hoga-Sha Chikai," Tenrai said.

The Hokage's eyes widened in shock.

"Perhaps it would do them both some good if they were together…" Tenrai finished.

The Hokage nodded in thought before Tenrai rolled out of the office.

* * *

Tenrai: Ame Nochi: The Oath

* * *

A day had passed since Tenrai's conversation with the Hokage, and the Hōkuai matriarch had just finished touching up a katana when Naruto walked through the back door, his hair hiding his eyes. "Naruto-san, I thought you were with Kakashi-san training?" Tenrai said.

She then looked closer and saw a mix of anger, sadness but most of all resigned disappointment on his face and instantly knew something was wrong, and then she felt a burst of motherly concern fill her veins.

"What happened?" Tenrai asked as she sat the weapon down and rolled up to Naruto.

She then watched as Naruto's head snapped up with a weak smile on his face. "O-Oh hi Hōkuai-san. N-Nothing happened. I promise. Training just got cut short, that's all," Naruto said, struggling to keep his tone even, but Tenrai knew different.

She knew that something had happened, and it had hurt the blond shinobi. Slowly, she reached up and touched Naruto's cheek and felt sadness strike her heart when momentarily flinched before allowing himself to be touched.

"Naruto…" Tenrai murmured with a warm tone. "I know I'm not my daughter, and I know I haven't done well by you before, and that is all my fault, but please, tell me what happened."

At first, she thought he wouldn't answer her, but then he murmured, "Okay…"

"Thank you," Tenrai said with a comforting smile.

"I went to the Team 7 training ground to train…Sakura and Sasuke were there. Kakashi-sen…" Naruto paused then corrected himself with, "Kakashi said that he was taking on Sasuke as his pupil and will no longer be teaching Sakura-chan and me," Naruto explained.

Tenrai took a deep breath and asked, "Did he say what team you would go on?"

"No, he just apologized and said that we deserved a sensei that would prioritize all of us instead of treating us like unnecessary add-ons," Naruto said.

"You know what's sad? I knew from the minute we all met that Kakashi-sen-I mean-Kakashi wanted to teach Sasuke, but I didn't care. I was going to be taught by the legendary Copy-Cat shinobi. But that's what I get. Why should I be happy and ever get what I want? I don't deserve it anyways…"

Just then, Tenten entered from the front door and said, "Naruto-kun, I have some wonderful news!"

"Huh?" Naruto asked.

"Gai-sensei just made the announcement. You're officially on our team!" Tenten said with a beaming smile.

"R-Really?" Naruto stammered out.

"I don't know if Kami had this planned, but yes, you're on my team!" Tenten exclaimed.

Tenrai watched as a large, sincere smile appeared on Naruto's face, which caused Tenrai to smile, and the two celebrated.

'Thank you, Hokage-sama…' Tenrai thought with a grateful smile on her face.

* * *

Tenten: Ame Nochi: The Oath

* * *

It was the middle of the night when Tenten found herself stirred awake with a dry throat that required some water.

Tenten leaned up from her bed and rubbed her eyes before she slid off the bed and walked out of her room and into the hallway when she saw Naruto's door was open.

She frowned immediately and walked into his room, but it was empty, and the window was opened. Worried, she walked to the window and was about to stick her head out of it, but she paused when she heard something.

_"Long afloat on shipless oceans. I did all my best to smile."_

It was singing.

_"'Til your singing eyes and fingers. Drew me loving to your isle…"_

She knew that Naruto was the owner of the voice was but where was it coming from? It was far enough that it worried her but close enough where she could make out the words.

_"And you sang, 'Sail to me…Sail to me…Let me enfold you.'"_

Tenten peeked out the window and looked to the ground, but then she looked up to see feet dangling from her roof.

_"' Here I am. Here I am waiting to hold you…'"_

Tenten hoisted herself out the window and stuck herself beneath the window, and began to creep up the building slowly.

_"Did I dream? You dreamed about me? Were you here when I was forced out?"_

Tenten continued to creep towards the roof before she paused.

_"Now my foolish boat is leaning. Broken lovelorn on your rocks…"_

Should she interrupt him?

_"For you sing, "Touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow. Oh my heart, Oh my heart shies from the sorrow.'"_

Tenten crouched on the wall and absorbed the words that he was singing. He sounded so sad and haunted.

_"Well, I'm as puzzled as the newborn child. I'm as riddled as the tide…"_

He had come to the roof to sing after all.

Was it right to pry on Naruto like this?

_"Should I stand amid the breakers? Or should I lie with death, my bride?"_

But she had to know what the song meant.

 _"Hear me sing, 'Swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you….'"_ She heard him take a breath before he finished with, _"' Here I am. Here I am, waiting to hold you…'"_

It then grew silent before Naruto's soft voice said, "I know you're there, Tenten-chan…"

Guilt immediately rushed through Tenten's veins as she crawled onto the roof and sat beside the blond-haired shinobi. "I didn't see you in your room and got worried," she said to him, unable to look him in the face.

"It's okay," Naruto replied softly.

"You sounded nice, although very melancholy," Tenten continued. "I don't think I've ever heard that song before…Where did you hear it from?"

Naruto sat there in silence for a moment before he said, "When I was little, there was a voice in my head. She was nice and gentle. She always sang to me, and this was one of the songs. I never knew who that voice was, but knowing what I know now, It must have been the Kyūbi…"

Tenten processed this before she asked, "What was it like having "Her" in your head?"

"I don't know…I was five the last time she sang to me…After I told the Hokage, he had some white-haired guy come and do something to the seal and I hadn't heard from her since…But when she was there, I felt like someone cared for me at least…" Naruto murmured.

Tenten watched as Naruto took a shuddered breath and said, "She sung all sorts of songs. Happy ones, sad ones, bittersweet ones. For those two months, I was happy. I wasn't alone but she probably hates me now for opening my damn mouth. I vouched that the Hokage would understand, but he was immediately scared. The last thing the Kyūbi said was 'Smile,' but I found that I couldn't…Not anymore…"

Tenten could only stare in amazement.

She thought that the Kyūbi was evil incarnate, from how people talked about her, but instead, she used to sing to Naruto and seemed to care about him?

Tenten decided to put that thought aside and asked, "What was the song about?"

"Well…From what I could interpret, this person was lost at sea, and this woman drew him to her island with the promise of love, and when that person came, she turned them away. Now that person was singing as the previous one had, wanting someone to love and accept them."

Naruto then paused then let out a sad chuckle as he asked, "Story of my life, eh?"

"Naruto…I…" Tenten began, trying to find the words, but then Naruto placed a hand on top of her and let a faint but genuine smile appear on his face.

"But despite all of that…I feel something more than sadness for the first time in a long time…Thanks to you and your mom, I feel…hopeful…" Naruto admitted, which caused Tenten's face to brighten up.

She had been so worried, especially since Naruto's old sensei abandoned him, that Naruto would sink into the murky depths of the darkness again. So hearing this made her realize that she was helping.

"You have no idea what it means to hear that, Naruto-kun," Tenten said, slightly choked up before she gripped his wrist and pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you…"

She felt Naruto smile against her chest before he returned her hug with a tight one. "We should go to bed," Tenten told him softly.

With a nod from Naruto, the pair went back down through Naruto's window. Instead of returning to her room, however, Tenten slid into the bed beside Naruto and asked, "Do you mind if I stay here tonight?"

Naruto smiled in response and said, "Of course not. You are more than welcome to stay here."

Tenten smiled and murmured, "Thank you."

For the next twenty minutes, Tenten watched as Naruto drifted off to sleep, and as she felt her exhaustion returning, Tenten brushed a strand of blond hair from his face and thought back to his song.

All this time, he felt as if he was on an island, wanting someone, anyone, to come to him and care.

It made Tenten feel as if someone was squeezing her heart.

Tenten carefully wrapped her arms around Naruto and brought him closer, her face buried against the top of his head. _'I won't let you sit there on that island all alone…'_ She then closed her eyes again and placed a kiss on the top of his head before she drifted off to sleep.

_'I'll come to you, Naruto-kun…'_

* * *

Tenten: To be continued

* * *


End file.
